Whats In My Wild Camping Backpack?

I haven't had chance to have a wild camp in July, unfortunately, but I'm getting the itch to get out there again soon.

So instead, I've decided to put a blog post together about the kit I take with me on a wild camp...

Backpack

The Hi Gear Tibet 65 + 10 litre backpack is my wild-camping rucksack. It has plenty of pockets, zipped compartments & expandable storage place for all my gear, and is comfortable enough for long treks up and down the fells.

It has its own built in rain cover (although luckily I've not been caught out in a down pour heavy enough to warrant using this...yet), and adjustable back, shoulder & chest straps

The main compartment I use to hold my cooking system, food, drinks, spare clothing & camera gear.

The bottom compartment holds my sleeping systems, and my tent is clipped on using the straps at the bottom of the pack.

The zip-up pockets on either side hold my water filtration system, and the other is used to hold rubbish (which i keep in a plastic bag inside the pocket).

The two bottle pockets on either side, one is used for a bottle of water, which I can grab on the go without having to remove the whole pack, and the other side holds my camera tripod and hiking poles, held in place by the compression straps.

Finally the huge double lid pockets hold anything else I may need to get a hand on, including my first aid kit, head-torch, car keys, wallet, etc.

Tent

My current tent is the Vango Banshee 200. This is a very popular 2-man backpacking tent, and ticks all the right boxes when it comes to solo wild camping.

Its lightweight, at just 2.35 kg, and packs down small so I can attach it to the bottom of my rucksack. It has a detachable inner room, which I leave hooked in, and this means I can pitch the tent in next to no time whilst out in the wilds...my last pitch went up in about 4 minutes! Using a 2 man tent for a solo expedition means it has plenty of storage space, from pockets within the inner, to porch space on one side of the outer fly-sheet. It also has double doors, which means I can pitch the tent with one door open to the sunset at night, then open the opposite door to watch the sunrise the next morning.

The only downside it the headroom, its highest point inside the inner is 90 cm, which is fine when sitting down, but can be a bit of a faff when moving around in the tent, or getting in & out of it. But on a positive note, I've not had any issues with condensation build up, and no issues with the waterproofing - the rain stays outside where it should!

Sleeping System

My sleeping bag is an OEX Roam 200 2-season sleeping bag. I bought this a year or so ago to replace my previous 2-season bag, and this OEX bag is a big step up! Its a mummy-style bag, which means there's a hood which allows for improved heat conservation, and suits me perfectly for my spring-to-autumn camps in the Lake District. Again, its light weight, at 1.35 kg, and packs down pretty small. However I use a Karrimor 'Small' sized waterproof stuff sack to keep it in so it can pack down even smaller.

Underneath my sleeping bag, I have a Karrimor X-Lite full sized sleeping mat. This is a self-inflating sleeping mat, so has a honeycomb shaped foam inner, with a fabric surround. On unpacking the mat, rolling it out & opening the valve, air rushes in to fill the gaps in the honeycomb foam mat, although I also find a few extra blows into the valve will give it that bit extra comfort in the padding. It also comes with its own stuff sack.

Finally I have a small inflatable pillow which I picked up from a supermarket a couple of years ago, and it does the trick.

Food & Drink

It's important to keep hydrated and fuelled when carrying a pack for miles on end, so having snacks & liquids to hand whilst on the move is essential. I usually take fruit & protein bars & chocolate bars - high energy foods - to snack en route.

Drink-wise, a ¾ litre bottle of water will see me through the initial walk to camp. I use a Sawyer Squeeze Water Filtration System and this means I can stop off at becks, streams and tarns when my reserves get low. It's extremely important to choose your water source carefully. Clear running water is best. Dirty standing water is a definite avoid!

Of course, for when I'm camped, a couple of cans of pop, cider or beer are always good, maybe some rum from my hip flask if the mood takes!

Once camped, it's time to think about dinner. I have a Jetboil Flash cooking stove. It's a pricey initial outlay, and was about £90 when I purchased it, but this is a cracking little all-in-one cooking stove. The modular design means that when dis-assembled, all component parts, including gas canister packing into the 1 litre cooking pot, so it only has a small space footprint in the pack.

It's also quick - as it's name implies - boiling water in approximately 2 minutes. There's a handy visual indicator on the neoprene pot cover which changes colour to yellow as it gets up to temperature.

I usually find boil in the bag meals are best, 'Look What We Found' are ideal, along with a packet of 'microwave' rice, leaving them in the Jetboil whilst they heat up. Plus the left over boiled water can then be used for a brew!

I've also had Batchelors Pasta 'N' Sauce packets, just bring the water to a boil, throw in the contents of the packet & leave to simmer for a few minutes. The only down side to these is that you're left with the cooking pot to clean, and could lead to your brew the next morning taking on an interesting pasta flavour!

Usually, breakfast the next day consists of a few fruit bars and a coffee. Nescafe do 3-in-1 instant coffee sachets which has coffee, milk & sugar in powder form - just add hot water. Quick & simple.

Utensils wise, I have a bowl & cup, and a plastic spork, and take a few sheets of kitchen towel and a small scourer / sponge & dish cloth for 'washing up'.

Spare Clothing

Of course, clothing is always weather dependant, so what your wearing 'on your back' won't necessarily see you through the trip, but I have some 'essential' extra gear which I've spotted I pack on every wild camp so far, and will more than likely be pulled out of the rucksack at least once per camp.

Fleeces are invaluable, and are handy when the temperatures drop in the evening, or if the wind picks up. This extra layer will trap that extra layer of warm air close to your body, and will get you warm fast. You can get fleeces which pack away small, so there's no excuse not to have one of these in your pack.

A waterproof jacket needs to be in your pack. The weather can be that changeable in the mountains that you just never know if or when it will change. I have a Craghoppers Compresslight Packaway Jacket, and this covers all the bases of being water resistant, windproof, thermal and lightweight. It's another item with its own stuff sack so packs down really small.

Other Kit

There are a few other bits of kit that really need to be taken on each and every camp, and these could be a life-saver!

• First Aid Kit
• Head Torch
• Spare Batteries
• Knife and / or Multi-tool
• Map
• Compass
• Camera
• 'Power Bank' to recharge my mobile phone & camera
• Hiking poles (these are a more recent investment, and really help to reduce the pressure on the knees when walking with a heavy pack....especially on the descent!)

So there you have it. Overall my pack comes in at around 10-12kg before I set off, and that's when the adventure really begins!

Mark

#Wildcamp